Holiday Stress? Shed it.

PARENTING PEACE

Shed the Stress of Holiday Prep

Hello again!

Feel like you're sinking in holiday stress?

This wonderful time of year can feel quite un-wonderful. Time pressure, planning, gift-getting.

If you're feeling more dread than delight, you are not alone.

Graphic of christmas tree and menorah against a background of papers reading "stress":

My ChildSightTools® advice is always from the child's point of view.

But this post is from yours. Why?

Because your stress seeps into them ... doubling your load.

Here are some ways to reduce the Stress of the Season with mantras. Nope, you don't have to sit in a lotus pose (as if you had the time!).

African American mother with eyes closed beside a word bubble reading "It's gonna be fine."

What a mantra even is.

A mantra is just a phrase you choose to replace automatic negative thoughts. You've probably heard them called ANTs!

Like, "I'll never get everything done" -- "She's impossible to please" -- "I'm totally overwhelmed."

A mantra is a positive, self-supportive thought that combats the negative.

To me, it's "deciding what you're gonna think."

Instead of your brain deciding it for you.

With a mantra, YOU decide what to think.

How to make a mantra

A mantra is a short sentence or phrase. Like "It's all gonna work out fine."

The best mantra is the one your write yourself. Personalized mantras work like a prescription just for you - for your heart, mind, body and situation.

Some great mantras are simply the opposite of your negative thought.

Pay attention to your thoughts for a few minutes, an hour, a day. Jot them down.

Here are a few rewrites to get you started:

"I cannot get everything done!" > "I can do what matters most."
"She's gonna criticize all day!" > "I cannot please unplease-able people."
"This holiday's gonna be a disaster!" > "Things will be fine, just fine."

Re-write a negative thought and you've got a mantra.

Calm dark-haired man with beard with closed eyes, against background of greeneryc

How to do a mantra.

Mantras work best with oxygen.

A deep breath may be hard to make room for. But doing so can reclaim your sanity.

It's a simple thing with a profound effect.

And it isn't silly or way-out-there.

Technically, a mantra+breath combo blends cognitive therapy, the physiology of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) and basic brain science.

Close your eyes (or half-way). Breath in through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Once or twice. And say your mantra -- aloud or to yourself.

Mantras work best with oxygen ... just like the brain.

What are your top three?

If only three things went right this holiday season -- what would you want them to be?

Think ahead about what's most important to you.

That can center you in stressful times.

Your roasted brussels sprouts were super. But you didn't make favorite grandma's cookies.
The decorations were great. But you didn't talk much with aging Uncle Bruce.

Pick the 3 things, experiences, qualities you want most.

So you don't miss them.

Center yourself and your energies in the things that matter most.

Negative thoughts can darken your sky.

A breath with a mantra can let some light in.

And with light, you can see possibilities that stress shuts out.

Mantras are center stage in my FREE online mini-course.

Save stress in fun 5-minute videos.

If you're wanting more mantra guidance, learn more here.

Thanks for reading! See you next week.

And remember ... Looking through your child's eyes changes everything.

Cheers!

Dr. Beth

What are your thoughts? Hit reply or email Beth@DrBethKids.com.

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Hi, I'm Dr. Beth Onufrak!